Project 1: Pilot Study

Quick Facts

Due Date

Wednesday, November 5, 2025

Goal

The goal of the pilot study assignment is to develop a preliminary research question and to collect some initial data, both in preparation for your group Island project.

To Turn In

In assigned Deepnote project:

  • Names of investigators and their roles
  • Research question (1–2 sentences)
  • Draft of methods section

In Canvas:

  • Link to Google Sheet with data

Preliminaries

  • Review the Islands tips document.
  • Work through one shared login to the Islands.
  • Use a shared Google Sheet for data (tidy format: one row per person, one column per variable).
  • Use your assigned Deepnote project for writing.

Research Question

  • Develop a question that is interesting and feasible.
  • You may use the PICO structure (Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome).
    • Description: https://guides.mclibrary.duke.edu/ebm/pico
    • Sample PICO questions: https://libraryguides.nau.edu/c.php?g=665927&p=4682772
  • Questions can be experimental or observational.

Final form: 1–2 sentences describing the population, treatment/exposure, comparison, and outcome.

Design a Study

  • Read this Chapter on study design.
  • Design a study to answer your research question.
    • Describe how subjects were selected.
    • Random sampling is not required, but justify representativeness.
    • Response variable must be quantitative.
    • Collect at least four demographic information that you think may confound your results (at least two must be numeric).

Preliminary Data Collection

Using your study design, measure at least 20 islanders for a pilot study.

Methods Section

Clearly describe the following in your methods section:

  • Study design (e.g., experimental, case-control, cohort)
  • Target population
  • Inclusion/exclusion criteria
  • Sampling methods
  • Explanatory variable(s)
  • Outcome (numeric response variable)
  • Demographic variables (≥4 total, ≥2 numeric)
  • Randomization and blinding methods (if applicable)
  • Study implementation and timing
  • Planned statistical methods (to appear in final project)

Write clearly and concisely without repetition.